A communication system is used by a sending party to send data to a receiving party. The data is sent by a sending station upon a communication channel for delivery to a receiving station. Through appropriate selection of the communication channel, the data may be sent from the sending station to the receiving station, even when the sending station and the receiving station are located far from each other.
Advancements in communication technologies have permitted the development and implementation of many different types of communication systems for sending data between a sending station and a receiving station. Improvements in communication technologies continue to make possible the transmission of increasingly large amounts of data at increasingly higher data transmission rates.
A radio communication system is an example of a communication system in which communication technologies have been applied to increase data communication speed and capacity. In a radio communication system, communication channels formed between the sending stations and the receiving stations are defined upon radio links that extend between the sending stations and the receiving stations.
Wire line connections are not required to interconnect the sending stations and the receiving stations in a radio communication system. In a conventional, wire line communication system, in contrast, a wire line connection in required upon which to define communication channels which are used to communicate the data between the sending stations and the receiving stations. Because a wire line is not needed in a radio communication system, a radio communication system inherently provides increased communication mobility, relative to a fixed conventional wire line communication system. Radio communication systems are therefore regularly used in mobile applications to provide communications between locations where the use of wire line connections would be inconvenient or impractical.
A cellular communication system is a type of radio communication system. Cellular communication systems have been installed throughout large geographical areas of the world. A cellular communication system is operated by an operator, sometimes referred to as a service provider. Subscribers are authorized to communicate over the cellular communication system after purchasing a service subscription.
A cellular communication system is designed, constructed, and operated pursuant to an operating specification. Various types of operating specifications have been promulgated. As advancements in communications technologies permit, the operating standards are amended to incorporate new and improved features. New standards are promulgated to set the operational standards of new types of cellular communication systems.
When a mobile station such as a cellular telephone is initially placed in operation it must first be programmed or “configured.” The initial configuration procedure involves placing values of operational parameters within the mobile station. When a new mobile station is to be initially configured the mobile station is taken to a service center where the initial values of operational parameters are provided to the mobile station.
Physically carrying a mobile station to a service center for initial configuration is typically an inconvenience to the user of the mobile station. This is particularly true if the service center is inconveniently located for the user. In addition, the service provider must maintain and operate a service center and hire service center personnel to initially configure each new mobile station for service. The staffing and operation of a service center for configuring mobile stations can be a significant expense for the service provider.
It would therefore be desirable to have an apparatus and method that would allow a mobile station to be initially configured without physically carrying the mobile station to a service center.
It would also be desirable to have an apparatus and method that would allow a mobile station to be initially configured without having service center personnel personally configure the mobile station.
It would also be desirable to decrease the cost of operation of a mobile station service center by providing an apparatus and method that would allow a mobile station to be initially configured remotely through a radio link.